Ibrox kid Hardie won’t let the sun go down on Lions switch
LIVINGSTON v DUNDEE TONY MACARONI STADIUM, TODAY, 3PM
RYAN HARDIE has swapped the Spanish sun for a case of the winter blues.
The promising young striker was on cloud nine last month when he was handed a new one-year contract with parent club Rangers after dazzling Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard during the training camp in Tenerife.
It was no surprise to see Hardie hold his own alongside the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe, having notched five goals in six Premiership fixtures for loan club Livingston ahead of the trip to Iberia.
But since agreeing to extend his stay with the Lions, he is yet to find the net in his last four with Gary Holt’s men yet to score a goal in 2019.
As their marquee marksman, Hardie is determined to rectify that when Dundee visit today.
He said: “I came back from Tenerife absolutely bouncing and ready to get back to scoring goals for Livingston - and now we’ve not scored in five games
“Gerrard came in during the summer when I was injured. I had never trained with him but I got a call from him asking to see me in training. The plan was always to go back out on loan.
“But to go there, do well and get a new deal was great. Now the plan for the next six months is to play football and continue the form I had.
“I enjoyed Tenerife and I did well. It was great training with Gerrard - he was still a bit of class in training and Defoe’s finishing is unbelievable. It was great to learn from someone like him.
“I’ve come back to Livi on a real high. It’s just a case of getting back among the goals now.”